diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index e8c324c8cda..bdb15eb94df 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ subprojects {
             errorprone: "com.google.errorprone:error_prone_annotations:2.9.0",
             cronet_api: 'org.chromium.net:cronet-api:92.4515.131',
             cronet_embedded: 'org.chromium.net:cronet-embedded:92.4515.131',
-            gson: "com.google.code.gson:gson:2.8.6",
+            gson: "com.google.code.gson:gson:2.8.9",
             guava: "com.google.guava:guava:${guavaVersion}",
             javax_annotation: 'org.apache.tomcat:annotations-api:6.0.53',
             jsr305: 'com.google.code.findbugs:jsr305:3.0.2',
diff --git a/examples/pom.xml b/examples/pom.xml
index 653ebf062ac..7ec6ae4d7c5 100644
--- a/examples/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/pom.xml
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@
       <artifactId>protobuf-java-util</artifactId>
       <version>${protobuf.version}</version>
     </dependency>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>com.google.code.gson</groupId>
+      <artifactId>gson</artifactId>
+      <version>2.8.9</version> <!-- prevent downgrade via protobuf-java-util -->
+    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.tomcat</groupId>
       <artifactId>annotations-api</artifactId>
diff --git a/repositories.bzl b/repositories.bzl
index 712e34fded0..6e9caf9409d 100644
--- a/repositories.bzl
+++ b/repositories.bzl
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ IO_GRPC_GRPC_JAVA_ARTIFACTS = [
     "com.google.auth:google-auth-library-credentials:0.22.0",
     "com.google.auth:google-auth-library-oauth2-http:0.22.0",
     "com.google.code.findbugs:jsr305:3.0.2",
-    "com.google.code.gson:gson:jar:2.8.6",
+    "com.google.code.gson:gson:jar:2.8.9",
     "com.google.auto.value:auto-value:1.7.4",
     "com.google.auto.value:auto-value-annotations:1.7.4",
     "com.google.errorprone:error_prone_annotations:2.9.0",